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Christmas Body Blitz

Celebrity trainer, Neil Johnson, shares his top tips for beating the festive bulge

Published on December 5th 2011.

IS the mere thought of the holiday bulge slowly casting a shadow over your Christmas spirit?. Be it one too many mince pies or perhaps that second glass of mulled wine, it is the end of a long, long year and letting go is all fine and well until that ever-pressing guilt catches up on you. We have teamed up with The Chelsea Club’s Celebrity Trainer, Neil Johnson, who has generously provided some of his best tips for beating the winter weight.

He begins “Christmas indulgence occurs due to the inability to say no. As your Grandma asks you if you want a few more chocolates from the Quality Street tin, think about what those few chocolates actually mean. More often than not at Christmas we eat more despite not having a hunger for more food. We just like what we see, learn to say no.”

Neil Johsnon in action

Johnson’s top three tips for effortlessly avoiding piling on the party pounds will help you keep a slender figure for that New Year little black dress:

1) Shop ‘til You Drop: This is like music to every woman’s ears. Christmas shopping can be extremely beneficial to your figure, without it feeling like a workout. Brisk walking around a shopping centre – no cheating with leisurely strolls; you have presents to get – can burn between 3.5 and 7 calories per minute. So if you spend two hours trawling the shops for the perfect jumper for your Aunt May, you'll have burned anywhere from 500 to 800 calories. Plus imagine the toning your arms will get from carrying bags full of treats and goodies for all the family.

2) Walk the Walk: Forget wasting time in the traditional holiday shopping centres car park by circling and scouring for a space close to the door. Instead add to the exercise bonanza and park furthest away from the door and add a good few minutes of walking time to the shops and back – who knows you may even get an added bonus of a few flights of stairs thrown in too. Exercise reduces our stress levels; even gentle walking, as endorphins (happy hormones) are released so you’ll feel less panicked as you head for the bustling stores.

3) Get Into the Christmas Spirit: Festive decorating can help pay off some Christmas dinner sins. A sweaty hour of climbing up and down ladders and hoisting strings of lights and garlands can burn up to 250 calories. Add the hours spent cleaning the house from top to bottom so it is fit for royalty (or your mother) and you will be able to have that extra helping of Christmas pudding no problem.

Stick to these three simple rules and watch the pounds fall off this Christmas. Johnson adds, “Forget the usual afternoon nap this Christmas, try taking the dog for a walk or getting the family out of the house when you’d normally reach that post-Christmas dinner lull.”

Personal appointments with Neil Johnson are available to all Chelsea Club members. For more Information call 0871 223 1224www.ChelseaClub.com

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